Brand-new Amtrak trains are set to make their debut in 2026, though unfortunately not in time for the Fifa World Cup.
Later this year, eight new Airo trainsets will enter service on the Amtrak Cascades route, which connects Eugene and Portland in Oregon with Vancouver, British Columbia, the northern endpoint.
Major U.S. stations on the corridor include Seattle, Centralia, Olympia, Tacoma, Everett, Mount Vernon, and Bellingham.
The Airo is replacing the Talgo Series 8 trainset, with new features including screens that display speed, stops and connections, automated boarding steps that improve accessibility at mixed-height platforms, and touchless restroom controls.
Amtrak claims that the Airo is also more fuel efficient and “produces significantly less air pollution.”
As with the Talgo Series 8, the Airo will offer seat power, wi-fi, panoramic windows, and an onboard café.
Another similarity is the top speed — the Airo is capable of 125mph, while the Talgo Series 8 is designed to reach 124mph. However, the fastest Cascades operating speed is 79mph, due to track restrictions and freight traffic movements.
Amtrak described the Airo as “part of our bold transformation in passenger rail,” while Ron Pate, Director of Washington State Department of Transportation’s Rail, Freight and Ports Division, remarked: “Amtrak Cascades is eager to welcome new trains to our scenic 18-city route linking Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.
“Their arrival will herald a new generation of train travel in the Pacific Northwest.”
A total of 83 new Airo trainsets will roll out across the U.S., starting with Amtrak Cascades and followed by the Northeast Regional and other key routes.
The introduction of the Airo follows the rollout of Amtrak’s 160mph tilting Acela trains on the Northeast Corridor.
Acela runs from Washington, DC’s Union Station to Boston via Philadelphia, New York Penn Station, New Haven, and Providence.
Features include onboard cafe cars, high-speed 5G-enabled wi-fi, in-seat USB ports and plug sockets, individual reading lights, winged headrests that Amtrak says “provide more comfort and separation,” and seat covers made out of recycled leather.